- Light fishing heavily impacts fisherfolk as fish stocks decline
- Plastics affecting Ghana’s fishing industry
- Ghana records low fish stock
Fishermen at the Nungua Landing Beach in the Greater Accra region say light fishing have had devastating effects on their businesses and livelihoods.
Light fishing is when fishermen use artificial light to aid them to catch fish.
According to a JoyNews report, the fishermen said the activity is crippling the fishing industry.
Richard Bortey who had three wives is left with just two as the hardships related to the non-performance of his fishing business has caused one of his wives to divorce him.
He however lamented the rate at which plastic waste is negatively impacting fishing in Ghana, especially the greater Accra region.
“I started fishing in 1966 which was a good era until 1979 when light fishing was introduced. Since then, the fishing Industry has been affected which is very bad. Two of my three wives left me because the business has been bad”, he said
Meanwhile, the fishermen say they are excited about the introduction of the automated premix fuel distribution which will aid in the reduction of human elements in the process.
“With the automated premix fuel distribution, I think it’s good and it’s helping our business but plastics are all over in the sea which is bad. We go for fishing and get absolutely nothing but plastics”.
This they believe could be reversed if managed effectively.
Ghana’s fishing industry has however been faced with a lot of issues in times past, including sanitation an issue that has resulted in low fish stock for the economy.
